Improvement in harvesting-machines



d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

'W'. A. WOOD, OF HOOSIOK FALLS, NEW YORK.

iMPRovEM ENT IIN HARvEsrlNe-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36.04 7, dated July 29, 1862.

, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this speciiication, in which- Figure ll represents in perspective so much of a harvesting-machine as will serve to illustrate my invention, the machine being represented as in Working condition. Fig. 2 represents in perspective the same machine with the finger-bar turned up and resting against its support, and the parts in condition for transporting the machine from iield to field.

I do not claim a hinged finger-bar. My invention relates to the special manner of hinging the linger-bar and cutting apparatus, together with the devices by which I raise and hold up the iinger-bar, and let it down again, as circumstances may require.

To enable those skilled in the art to .make and use my invention, I will .proceed to describe the same with reference to the drawings.

A is a main frame, supported and carried upon a drive-wheel, B, of large diameter, and an auxiliary wheel, O, of smaller diameter. To the front grain side corner of the main frame, and within the plane of the main drivewheel I3, there is secured a metallic foot, D', to the lower end of which, at the points a a, is hinged a shoe, E, that carries and supports the finger-bar F. The wheel C is of such diameter and so set back upon the main frame as to admit of this foot D and shoe E being placed within the plane'of the drive-wheel, so as to follow the undulations of the' ground with the main wheel. The foot D inelines outward, so as to bring the shoe near the line of the previously-cut swath, and a little beyond the wheel G.

On the main frame A there is arranged a shaft, b, carrying upon one of its ends ahandlever, G, and upon its other end a bevel-pinion, c, which bevel-pinion c gears with a similar pinion, d, on the end of shaft e, that extends to the forward part of the main frame, and has upon its forward end a crank, f, to

which crank the shoe E is connected by a link,

g, so that when the lever G is in the position shown in Fig. 1 the linger-bar is let down into working position, and when the lever Gr is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the linger-bar is raised up and held in its raised position by the crank f being turned to its dead-center,7 7

or a little beyond it, which firmly holds it up.

The tongue II is pivoted at the point h, and its rear portion is furnished with a catch, e', that will take over or on the guide-piece I. Vhen the machine is working, the catch-piece t' is detached, and this lets down the front part of the frame and the finger-bar and shoe, so that the latter will rest upon the ground as far as its wheel J will admit; and when the ringer-bar is raised up for transportation, the heel of the tongue is fastened up to the top of the guide-piece I by the catch i, as shown in Fig. 2, lwhich raises up the front part of the frame, as also the shoe E, and preventsit from striking against any intervening obstacles, it being sut'liciently elevated to escape them. The tongue is really pivoted or hinged to the axle m of the drive-wheel B. It may,'how ever, be hinged or pivoted to the vframe elsewhere. So -that the object of its being hinged may be attained is all that is necessary. The axle m passes through the seat-plates u mand the main frame is suspended to the axle m by means of these seat-plates, which have suitable sockets, r, for the seat-supports o o, and arms for the foot-board supporters r r to be fastened to, as also base-pieces s s, to bolt and suspend the frame upon.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination of the link, crank, and geared lever for raising up, holding up, or lowering the ringer-bar, substantially as described. Y

2. In combination with the foot and hinged shoe, which allows the finger-bar to turn up,

the pivoted tongue, catch, and guide for giving the shoe an additional elevation above the ground for the purposes of transportation, substantially as described.

3. Suspending the main frame to the main Vaxle by means of the seat-plates, substantially as described.

V. A. VOOD. Vitnesses ADIN THAYER, J r.,

LEONARD KING. 

